The Plot To Blow Up the Eiffel Tower: Dissertation, HoneyDissertation, Honey (2003)Happy Couples Never Last

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

Contributed by: NickFeeleynick f(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on September 2nd 2003If you think about it, Punk Rock and Bebop are really more closely related than you might think. Both, it could be said, strove to reshape, or at least redirect their particular genre. Bebop came as a reactionary movement against the influential, yet straight-laced and somewhat tired sounds of Swi.

If you think about it, Punk Rock and Bebop are really more closely related than you might think. Both, it could be said, strove to reshape, or at least redirect their particular genre. Bebop came as a reactionary movement against the influential, yet straight-laced and somewhat tired sounds of Swing. As goes the same with Punk Rock, which blew the lid of late 70's rock excess and attempted to steer rock into an exciting new direction. Oddly enough though, these two styles have rarely come together. With the exception of James Chances' late 70's work with no-wave pioneers the Contortions and Washington DC's the Nation of Ulysses, jazz and punk have remained divided; each one giving the other a cold stare.

Not so with San Diego's the Plot To Blow Up the Eiffel Tower (from here on in TPTBUTET). The band grabs both styles by the balls, flings them into the musical blender and hits "pulse" till one is unrecognizable from the other. Combining the angular hardcore of bands like the Nation of Ulysses, Antioch Arrow, and the Minutemen with the Post â?? Bop Jazz influence of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Charles Mingus, TPTBUTET album, Dissertation, Honey is strikingly original and compelling debut. Brandon Welchez's vocals and saxophone fills come off as a sassy "fuck you" augmented by Brian Hill's rough and tumble drumming and Chuck Rowell's searing guitar. The secret weapon here though just might be Daniel Maier's Mike Watt-esque bass playing, giving each song a funk feel.

Dissertation, Honey is book ended by two spoken word pieces from poet Kailani Amerson, which add to the overall "beat" vibe of the album. As for the songs, there's no way to classify them. What may start off as a propulsive hardcore rant may morph into a free jazz frenzy before changing still into a low key lounge vibe. Case in point: "For Marcus" has the band kicking things off at a lightening pace. From there the band descends into a funk/disco section that will have your ass on the floor. Then the horns kick in, and the band heads into a Modal inspired Jazz interlude before thrashing back into hardcore form with Welchez screaming "Now its all over, there's no regrets!". Elsewhere, the horns on "Johnny, You're All Grown Up" harkens back to Miles Davis and John Coltrane's immortal riffing on "So What?" before being swallowed up by the band coming back in. The band even throws in several instrumental, like the death procession dirge of "Funeral Procession" and the Free Jazz jam "Her Health Violation." Throughout it all though, TPTBUTET retains their panache for simply being able to rock out. On "Sometimes I Wish I'd Lost A Leg" the bands swagger is so catching and incendiary that by the second time you hear it, you'll be chanting "Now my hands in the hive" with the band.

As far as debuts go, this one is destined for notoriety. The danger that drips off of this album is comparable to the danger which dripped off of the first Sex Pistols record or the first Rolling Stones record. The band certainly has a huge share chops â?? rock, jazz, and otherwise, which only leaves one desperate to know what could possibly come next. My suggestion to you would be to buy this record, and see this band live. Now. Go.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon
sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (May 22, 2005)

OMG!! i saw u guys for the first time last night @ the icc!! omg U GUYS WERE SOOO FUCKING GOODDD!!!! i llove it!

Anonymous (February 19, 2005)

The Nation of Ulysses song is called 'Sound of Jazz to Come', not Shape. 'Shape of Jazz to Come' was an Ornette Coleman album.

Anonymous (August 3, 2004)

if you want to look cool and be accepted by your friends at school, you know the ones that wear the tiny jeans, boots and have bad haircuts, listen to this totally derivative band.

for more info, please see: the blood brothers, the refused, nation of ulyeses, clikitat ikatowi, at the drive in etc. etc.

Anonymous (September 7, 2003)

jazz fusion fo' life.

Anonymous (September 6, 2003)

it's not necessarily the sound, it's the aesthetic and idea. the refused "borrowed" nou's hyper-political schtick, their fashion sense, their jazz/hardcore fusion, and just several other ideas from the music and packaging (spoken word interludes, essays, etc). there is a nation of ulysses song called shape of jazz to come, which i kind think refused got the name from as well.

Anonymous (September 5, 2003)

I heard a little bit of NOU and I didnt hear Refused in that at all. But i only heard 3 songs. Ill give it further scrutiny later.

Anonymous (September 5, 2003)

about time some one said it. one could probably create a whole theory about how dennis lyxzen (sp?)just wants to be ian svenonius

i watched a live video of these guys, and i dont think their singer is on his feet for more then 5 straight seconds. Not that he was jumping, but more rolling around on the ground. What a crazy bastard. But anyways, this is some good stuff.

sorry about all the submission for the same review. i thought it had something to do with the fact that the original 7,999 submissions were copy and pasted from ms word, which might have meant you couldn't have read/posted it for whatever scripting reason. sorry about that.

These guys are probably going to take some shit for their name down the line.

I can just imagine there being a nice little rock 'n roll show then out of the blue a ton of FBI agents bust into the club. All of them expecting to see some sort of cult making misc. explosives and what have you.

- Scott
http://www.local-felons.com/
(Anyone have the new Gnarkill CD?)

Anonymous (September 2, 2003)

Kudos for not mentioning The Blood Brothers in the review.

Great album. The sleeve smells funny.

Anonymous (September 2, 2003)

By the description, this definetly sounds like something worth checking out.

Anonymous (September 2, 2003)

I'm glad someone reviewed this album as it will probably be in my top 10 of the year and I had never heard anyone mention it on the site as of yet...everyone should check this album out.

Dear Nick F-
Submitting a review roughly 8 thousand times over the course of a month doesn't help said review get published sooner. If anything, it just makes me not want to ever run it, just to spite you.